Blog Archives

Stop and think for a moment. When a potential employer is browsing your resume, what impression are they forming about you? What about in person, in the interview?

We all know first impressions mean a lot and developing your personal brand can help achieve a good, and hopefully lasting, impression. According to Forbes, “Your personal brand is all about who you are and what you want to be known for.” Personal branding is an ongoing process of forming an image about you.

Let’s discover how to develop your brand so that you can be assured what you have to offer shines.

Define who you are and who you want to be.

You know yourself and where you want to end up in life better than anyone. Remember those things during an interview and when you are networking. Let yourself and your passions shine!

We recognized six individuals and organizations that dedicated their energy and expertise to successful internships in 2013 during the 8th Annual IMPACT Awards luncheon, sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College. These are the first three stories; we will post the other three in an upcoming blog.

Pam Plain Intern of the Year (College/University)

Pam Plain led an international public health initiative as a summer intern with Komen Tissue Bank (KTB) at the IU Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis.

KTB began to collect breast tissue from women all over the world, and started in Kenya, Africa, where the prevalence of a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer is common. Plain made arrangements for facilities and transportation of medical and surgical supplies and volunteer materials from the United States to Kenya.

Nothing is more nerve wracking than the unknown. Not knowing what to wear. Not knowing what time to wake up. Not knowing what to eat. Not knowing what time to leave your home. All of these, plus some, went through my mind during the days leading up to my new position as the Marketing and Special Events intern for Indiana INTERNnet.

The unknown consumed my first day. Having to drive a little over an hour with Indiana’s unpredictable weather would pose a challenge. And it did. But who would have thought that I would begin my internship during the second round of the Polar Vortex? Because of the weather, I was nearly 2 hours late on my first day. I did not see that coming. Luckily, I am working with a group of caring and understanding people that admire the fact that I even drive as far as I do every day. However, it …

As you wrap-up your internship, you may find that you have a few treasured weeks of summer left. What are going to do during this time? Maybe you’ll vacation, eat pizza, catch up on the latest blockbusters, relax, or prepare your dorm room or apartment. While these are all great ideas, if you do have a few spare minutes, you should consider utilizing the time to work on documenting your professional experiences.

Here at the Freddie Factor, I’m hoping for an upcoming school year packed with interviews for full-time employment. During those interviews, recruiters and other interviewers will want to hear about your internship, personal, and academic accomplishments. They also want to see and hear that you’ve prepared for the interview by researching the company, the position, and tailoring your answers accordingly.

Now is the time to update your resume—demonstrating what you did during your internships and results that …

Last weekend, interns working in Central Indiana came together to give back to our community by volunteering at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. Sponsored by ExactTarget, this event demonstrated how interns can use their “down time” to connect with their community, give back, and meet fellow interns.

It was also a challenge to ExactTarget’s Slingshot interns to implement a community-wide event. Because the event was such a success—about 50 interns attended—we’re hoping to see other Indiana companies consider sponsoring similar events. (Are you an employer interested in thinking about ways to bring interns together to give back or have fun in their community? Please leave a comment so we can contact you.)

If you’re not interning in Central Indiana, we have some great partners in the Ft. Wayne area, too. The Live, Learn & Intern series is a part of the Graduate Retention Program—an initiative designed to …